RealGM Wiretap

The Washington Wizards are entering the 17-18 season with a lot of confidence

"I feel like we're the best team in the East, I really do," Bradley Beal said. "That's how we feel coming into the season."

"There's a confidence to our team," Scott Brooks said. "But we still have to get better."

The Wizards were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs last season in a seven-game series. While Boston and the Cleveland Cavaliers have had significant changes to their roster, the Wizards return mostly their entire team.

"I admire [general manager] Ernie [Grunfeld] and [owner] Ted Leonsis for their loyalty and trust in us," Beal said. "They've taken care of us. Now they expect big things from us too, and we put that same pressure on ourselves."